Shadows
by IHOP
Summary: The Titans are celebrating four years of fighting crime together, but something is bothering Beast Boy. What do his depression, the Titans' sudden disappearance, and a book in Raven's room have in common? Read to find out.
1. Brooding And Forgetting

**NOTE: I know that BB/Raven love stories are getting to be a little cliché, but I've always wanted to write one. I'll try to make it interesting with a little more conflict and make it maybe a little less romantic, at least I hope. This story is meant to take place shortly after the episode "Things Change" (since it looks like that is the last episode).**

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**Shadows**

by: IHOP

**Chapter 1 -Brooding and Forgetting**

Titans Tower was full of excitement: it would be four years tomorrow since the five teenagers banded together to fight crime and save the world. Each of the members had some sort of task to perform in order to prepare a celebration.

Robin was planning a schedule for the occasion. He was figuring out a way to make room for games, dancing, and of course, eating. Starfire's job was to decorate the Tower, and she proceeded to do so, adorning the halls of their house with her unique Tamaranian taste in interior design. Cyborg was working on creating a special machine that would generate the most incredible fireworks display ever. Raven was using her telekinetic powers to clean up the Tower. Everybody had something to do, and everybody was in a great mood.

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... Everyone, that is, except Beast Boy. He hadn't left his room that day. It had been a couple of months since he had seen Terra, revived from her statue form, and unable to remember anything about her life as a super hero. Since then, he seemed all right most of the time, but occasionally he would get into a strange, depressed mood and would stay in his room the whole day. Everybody assumed he still missed her. When he didn't show up to get an assignment, his teammates knew better than to disturb him.

So Beast Boy was in his room with the lights off, on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His expression was blank, and he didn't move except to breathe. His thoughts, however, were racing. _What should I do? _he thought to himself.He was sad, but mostly puzzled.

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Having psychic powers makes menial tasks such as cleaning quite rapid and easy. The only room left to clean was Beast Boy's room. Raven approached his door and knocked.

"Beast Boy, open up."

No answer. She decided to knock a little louder.

"Beast Boy?"

Still no answer. Raven was getting agitated (which was easy for her), and, although she respected others' privacy, decided to telekinetically open the door. She quietly entered Beast Boy's room. She saw him on his bed, motionless except for his breathing.

"All right, Beast Boy, time to snap out of it. Being depressed and locked up in a dark room all day is _my _schtick."

He still remained frozen and silent.

"Okay, you asked for it," Raven muttered to herself as she raised her arm and sent Beast Boy flying into the ceiling with a burst of dark energy. This seemed to awaken him from his trance and he glared at Raven.

"_DUDE!_ What is your problem!" Beast Boy snapped, and Raven could see that his eyes were slightly red.

"How about what's _your _problem?" Raven responded forcefully, but with her typical lack of emotion. "You're usually the most annoyingly bright and fun-loving person on the face of the earth, and now you won't even get out of bed."

Beast Boy suddenly calmed down and diverted his eyes to the ground. "Guess you're right," he admitted. "I guess I just..." he paused, "I've been kind of empty feeling." He blushed slightly as he finished his sentence.

Raven assumed that Beast Boy was still brooding about Terra. Since she and Beast Boy had become, she reluctantly admitted, good friends, she tried to sound helpful. "Listen, some people just come and go. I understand that you're upset, but eventually you'll just have to deal with the fact that she has lost her memory and there's nothing you can do about it."

"But, that's not the problem. I mean--"

Raven cut him off. "Beast Boy, stop denying it. You just have to get over it." At that point she had become tired of dealing with emotions, and she got up and started to leave.

"Raven, wait..." Beast Boy's voice trailed off.

Raven stopped for a moment but then she left for her own room.

Beast Boy's expression started out as surprised, then sort of faded into one of internal struggle. They were good friends now, at least he thought, but even after all this time, there were still certain things that remained a mystery.

And so he decided to brood over the situation with his CD player and headphones.

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Back in the living room, Robin was admiring Starfire's decorations.

"What's this one, Starfire?" asked Robin, pointing to a wreath-like object seemingly composed of dried slime, fabric, and horns.

"Why that is the Tamaranian Adornment of Good Fortune," Starfire replied gleefully. "It is customary on Tamaran to hang the Adornment of Good Fortune during any time of the partying, and it is said to guarantee a glorious celebration."

Just as Starfire finished her sentence, Cyborg came motoring into the living room.

"Hey, y'all. Guess who just finished the Ultimate Sure-to-Be-A-Hit-at-Any-Party-Especially-This-One Fireworks Machine?"

"Oh, wonderful, friend Cyborg!" Starfire rejoiced. "Anticipation abounds! May we see it now?"

"Ah, ah, ah, not 'till tomorrow night. I want this baby to be a big surprise!" Then he realized only three of the super heroes were present. "Yo, where's BB and Raven?"

"I don't know. I--" but Robin's words were cut short by a low rumbling. The lights flickered on and off and finally exploded. An unnatural darkness swept the entire Tower.

"AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!" were the last sounds heard before Titans Tower settled again, this time with the absence of three people.

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_I hope that the first chapter wasn't too long and boring, but I wanted to get some background info into the story so you can understand the whole conflict better. However, I am trying not to give too much away from the start. Some details you may have to guess on your own until later in the story._

_I feel like the story is kind of unorganized right now, but I'm working on it. Any tips would be great._

_This is my first fanfic in a few years, so please review; praise would be nice, but go ahead and criticize away, just don't get mean (hehe)._

_I will post Chapter 2 ASAP, schedule permitting._


	2. Alone Together Part One

**Shadows**

by: IHOP

**Chapter 2 Alone Together (Part One)**

It had been a few hours, and Beast Boy had started to feel a little better. _The others must be lost without my awesome sense of humor, _he thought. So Beast Boy removed his headphones and strolled into the living room.

"Hey, guys. Miss m--" then he stopped short. Looking around, he saw that the living room was completely trashed. The decorations were torn and scattered, and the big-screen TV was destroyed. The ceiling had partially caved in, creating a short but deep fissure in the floor.

Of course, Beast Boy reacted as any sensible person would:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" his high-pitched scream could be heard in Gotham City (for those who don't know, that's on the other side of the country).

Beast Boy immediately ran through the Tower, banging on the doors of each of his teammates' rooms one-by-one, hoping for someone to answer.

"Robin!" No answer.

"Starfire?" No answer.

"Cyborg!" (you get the picture by now, right?)

"RAVEN!" He screamed out of exasperation.

Raven, who had been in deep meditation for the last few hours, was broken from her train of thought by the shouting and reluctantly creaked open her door.

"What is it?" Her blunt words revealed her annoyance.

Beast Boy breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his scowling friend, then resumed panicking.

"_Dude! _I went into the living room to see what was going on, and the whole place was totally trashed! And I can't find Robin, Starfire, or Cyborg anywhere!"

Raven was shocked at this information, but she kept her head. "All right, let's just calm down. We have to find them."

The two Titans entered the living room and realized that they faced another obstacle.

"The exit doors are blocked off," Raven observed stoically.

"Are you saying we're _TRAPPED!" _Beast Boy began to panic even more.

"Not so fast." Raven closed her eyes and focused. "Azarath. Metrion. _Zinthos!_" She sent a wave of dark energy toward the debris, but the spell just flashed and faded away. Nothing moved.

"There's some kind of magical barrier around the Tower," Raven explained.

"And that would mean...?" Beast Boy asked with grim anticipation.

"We're trapped," Raven said flatly. (cue BB anime fall to the ground)

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In the hallway, Raven levitated and Beast Boy paced worriedly, each trying to come up with a solution. Both of them were upset, but didn't want to let on. Finally Beast Boy broke the silence.

"Oh, they're probably fine. The Tower probably just got wrecked in the middle of a fight with some bad guy, and they just took it outside. They'll be back in no time." He forced a smile even though he knew he was wrong.

Raven just remained expressionless.

"I know! Raven, knock, knock." Beast Boy hoped that by adding some levity he could cheer them both up a little.

"I don't think so," Raven hurriedly replied. She turned her back to him. _I can't stand his jokes, let alone at a time like this, _she thought.

"Oh, come on," Beast Boy pleaded. "Knock, knock."

Raven let out a huge, frustrated sigh. "Fine. Who's there?"

"Marsh."

"Marsh who?"

"Marshmallow!" Beast Boy burst into laughter at what he thought was a hilarious joke, but was soon silenced by Raven's scowl.

"Now is _not _the time for bad jokes. We need to find a way to get out of here." Raven started for her room.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To find a way to destroy the barrier."

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_Well, there's Chapter 2. I hope it's okay. Really, even I'm not sure where this is going... I know the basic plot, but I'm having a hard time getting my details organized._

_Oh, well. I kind of like it, I guess. But it can be better._

_Review, please._


	3. Alone Together Part Two

**NOTE: Thanks so far for all the kind reviews! Hopefully I can give you more of what you like.**

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**Shadows**

by: IHOP

**Chapter 3 - Alone Together (Part Two)**

Raven looked through her room and found a large, faded-gray book and began to skim through it. She finally came to a page that interested her. It was titled, _Curses of the Heart_. Beneath the title was a free-verse poem, which she read:

_Darkness infects everything_

_But the heart is most susceptible_

_The heart is the very source of emotion_

_From there spiritual actions emerge._

_The heart: a tool of love and charity_

_Yet these good intentions are easily corrupted_

_When one loves, but is not loved in return_

_Love turns to envy._

_It is jealousy, the green beast_

_The most powerful curse_

_Plaguing mankind for millennia_

_The most destructive emotion._

The poem continued, but Raven shut the book. She suddenly appeared nervous. However, she was soon forced to turn her attention to a fly that had been circling her for some time. She swatted it away, and it fell to the ground and morphed; it was Beast Boy.

Raven suddenly became defensive. "What are you doing in my room?"

Beast Boy stood up and brushed himself off.

"I just wanted to help, too. Why do you always have to shut me out!"

Raven pulled up her hood to hide her embarrassment.

"And what exactly did that poem mean, anyway?" He was trying to probe into Raven's thoughts, as he always did, much to her dismay.

"I-it's nothing," Raven scoffed to cover her uneasiness. "It... there was nothing useful in it."

Beast Boy wasn't convinced. He cocked his head and raised one eyebrow. "Raven, come on. What did it mean?"

Raven hesitated, then sighed. "You just wouldn't understand."

This statement hit a nerve with Beast Boy, as it had become clear that this conversation was no longer only about saving the others.

"Are you _kidding_ me! We've known each other for a long time. _We're friends_. Don't you think I would understand anything you had to say?"

He pulled down her hood to make sure she could see that he was serious.

There was a long silence. Raven looked at Beast Boy, considering what he had said.

_This is pointless,_ she thought, _I don't even know for sure if what I read even applies here. I mean, that would mean that-- no, it can't be true. I refuse to believe it. But if there's even a chance it can help rescue the others, then maybe I should say something._

Just as she seemed finally ready to explain what she read, she stopped.

"No. No, I just can't." She pulled her hood back up and turned her back.

Just then, a dark aura formed on the floor and engulfed Raven. It began to pull her through the floor.

"Aaahhhh!" Raven shouted as she disappeared.

"Raven!" Beast Boy cried. He reached for her, but it was too late; she was gone.

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_Okay, how was that? Is it even relatively enjoyable? Are my cliffhangers at all enticing?_

_Review, please._


	4. A Revelation

**NOTE: Sorry to say that the next two chapters are fairly short, mostly because to put them into one chapter wouldn't work out. But I have posted both chapters at the same time so it seems like one big chapter. Don't worry, I'm working on Chapter 6, and it looks like almost twice the length of the other two.**

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**Shadows**

by: IHOP

**Chapter 4 - A Revelation**

"RAVEN!" Beast Boy called out, but it was no use. He was the only one left in the Tower.

For a few moments, his mind was flooded with dread and chaos. Then he turned around and noticed the gray book that Raven had been reading. He knew what he had to do. He picked up the book and frantically searched for the page with the poem.

When at last he found it he studied the first three stanzas over and over; he was more focused than he had ever been before. He spent about ten minutes reading it, but still didn't understand. He then looked at the third verse more carefully:

_It is jealousy, the green beast_

_The most powerful curse_

_Plaguing mankind for millennia_

_The most destructive emotion._

Slowly, but surely,he began to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. He finally reached a conclusion that made his heart stop. He wasn't sure, but he thought now he finally understood what it all meant.

Beast Boy ran into his room and searched it until he found a crumpled photo. He stared at it for a moment. Then, as if it were alive, he started to speak to it.

"I'm sorry. I'll always have a special place for you, but it's time for me to stop obsessing with the past and focus on what I still have now, before I lose it forever. Goodbye."

He dropped the photo and ran back into Raven's room. He couldn't leave the Tower by ordinary means, but he did know the one place where he could always reach Raven. He went to Raven's bureau and held up her magic mirror.

_Raven's gonna kill me for this, _he thought, _but it's the only chance I have to save her, to save all of them._

The mirror emitted a black vortex which surrounded Beast Boy and sucked him up. After what seemed like an eternity of falling, he finally landed on a large floating rock. Surrounding the rock was empty space, lit only by swirling blue energy.

"Raven's mind," Beast Boy said under his breath. "But it looks a little different than I remember."

Indeed, the world of Raven's mind seemed just a_ little _less dark than before. There was no red energy, it was blue now. Trigon's defeat had given Raven more control over her mind.

Beast Boy suddenly remembered that he needed to find Raven.

_I've gotta save her before it's too late_, he thought as he ran across the path that materialized in front of him.

"Raven? Are you there?" Beast Boy called out. There was no answer except for a small group of tiny raven birds flying overhead.

"Man, this place is way too big," he said to himself after another half hour of searching. "I wish there was some kind of clue where to look."

As if answering him, a dense fog filled the air. When it cleared, Beast Boy could see what appeared to be a portal of some sort. In front of it was a large stone with some sort of engraving on it. He walked over to it.

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_Well, that was a fairly short chapter, but Chapter 5 is already posted, so you can read it right now. I hope you're on the edge of your seats._ :-)

_Review, please._


	5. Shadows of the Past, Present, and Future

**Shadows**

by: IHOP

**Chapter 5 - Shadows of the Past, Present, and Future**

Beast Boy walked up to the stone in front of the mysterious portal and read the engraving on it:

_Memories and Visions_

Overcome with curiosity, Beast Boy was drawn to touch the stone. Just as he did, it lit up with white energy. The same energy appeared in the portal, and he could have sworn he heard someone whispering his name from the other side.

Hoping it was Raven, Beast Boy darted through the portal. On the other side, all he saw was a stone wall.

After a few seconds, a shadow appeared on the wall. It looked like Raven's silhouette. Then another shadow appeared. It looked like his own silhouette. The two had a little color to them, making them appear to be ghosts.

_This is Raven's memory of when we first met,_ Beast Boy thought. The shadows were far away from each other; their backs were to each other. Suddenly, another familiar scene played.

_And this is her memory of when me and Cyborg went into her mind._ At the end, another shadow formed between the Beast Boy and Raven shadows.

_Terra! _The shadow appeared friendly at first, but then she and the Raven shadow fought each other. Finally the Terra shadow stood back and faded away, along with Beast Boy's silhouette.

Another silhouette appeared. Beast Boy couldn't exactly make it out, but the Raven shadow stood close to it and it embraced her. But then, the other shadow turned into a dragon.

_Malchior!_ The Raven shadow fought until it was destroyed, then she collapsed. The Beast Boy shadow appeared again and helped her up, and she hugged him. Beast Boy became anxious reliving this memory. Then the shadows faded away.

_Those were Raven's memories from the past,_ thought Beast Boy. Then, he saw a new image form. Two silhouettes again, but this time they were completely black, just plain shadows.

_What is that? Is that another memory? Or is that a vision of the future?_ He couldn't tell what was going on, and the vision faded away before he could try to make sense of it. Finally, another portal opened up on the wall. He heard his name being called again, only this time he heard it loud and clear and he knew exactly who was calling him.

"Raven! I'm coming!" Beast Boy shouted as he ran through the portal.

This time he entered a huge, stadium-like cavern. There were green flames dimly lighting the area. Beast Boy scanned the area and saw someone in the distance. As he came closer, he figured out who the person was.

"Raven! Is that you?" he called out as he started to run, then sprint.

Once he was about twenty feet from her he could tell for sure it was Raven.

"Wait... stop..." Raven murmured when Beast Boy was within earshot.

"Are you crazy!" he replied in disbelief. "I'm here to save you." He continued toward her.

"No... don't--"

Just as Beast Boy was about to reach for Raven, a large, dark mass shot up in between them.

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_Another relatively short chapter, but interesting, I hope._

_Please Review._

_I will work on getting Chapter 6 up soon (I hope)._


	6. Fighting and An Explanation

**Shadows**

by: IHOP

**Chapter 6 - Fighting and An Explanation**

The dark mass covered Raven, and she reappeared in a deep green cage on the other side of the cavern. Beast Boy was thrown clear from the force of the emergence of the mass. He quickly jumped to his feet and came face-to-face with (duh) a huge, dark green monster. (sort of a combination of Plasmius and Wildebeest in appearance)

The monster lunged after Beast Boy, but he quickly retaliated, transforming into a hawk and flying into the air. When he had flown as high as possible, he changed into an elephant and dropped on top of the monster.

This only stunned the creature for a moment, and it threw Beast Boy into a wall. The force of his impact (he was still in elephant form) on the wall cracked part of it, and something appeared to be behind it.

After resuming his normal form, he peered through the crack to see none other than Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg (trapped, of course). He was about to say something, when the monster charged at him.

Suddenly, Beast Boy (of all people) had an idea. He waited for the moment just before the monster would make contact, then transformed into a mole and burrowed out of the way.

In the meantime, the monster crashed into the wall, thus freeing the three Titans.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted his trademark battle cry and he, Starfire, and Cyborg began to fight the creature.

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Beast Boy took this opportunity to go to Raven, who was still detained in the cage. He transformed into a mouse to fit through the bars, then resumed his normal form.

Upon finally seeing a friendly face, Raven immediately threw her arms around Beast Boy. She tried to control her emotions, but she could not stop a small tear from rolling down her cheek.

Beast Boy returned Raven's embrace and stroked her gently to comfort her.

After a minute, Raven pulled herself away. She looked at Beast Boy, then turned away with an expression of guilt. She finally resigned herself to the fact that she was done fighting what she had denied before.

"Beast Boy, I--" Raven tried to speak, but Beast Boy stopped her.

"It's okay," he assured her."You're gonna be okay."

"But I have to tell you," she hesitated."I created that monster."

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy's eyes widened, not so much from surprise as from the realization that his earlier suspicions may have been correct.

"The book. That monster, the barrier around the Tower, everybody disappearing, everything was created by my--"

"Let me guess... your jealousy?" Beast Boy finished her sentence for her, a smug grin creeping onto his face.

Raven stared in disbelief. Then she blushed and turned away. "You figured it out?"

Beast Boy smirked in an I-Told-You-So way. "Still think I wouldn't understand anything?"

Raven laughed to herself and returned the smirk. "Okay, I stand corrected," she said dryly.

Beast Boy then became uncomfortable. "Umm, actually... I have something to say, too."

There was a short pause as Beast Boy figured out how to word what he was going to say. Then he spoke again.

"Umm, well... I was feeling kind of depressed a few months ago. I was just... confused. Every now and then I would lie on my bed all day just to think."

At this thought Raven gave Beast Boy a skeptical look. Still he kept going without stopping.

"I thought about what could make me so upset, how I could feel so lonely when I had so many friends... then I thought about all of my friends. They're all important to me, but still something was missing... then I thought of you."

Raven was surprised at this last statement and she had to look away to hide her chagrin.

"Well, I mean, when we first met, we never seemed to get along. But for some reason I still wanted to get to know you. And being with you has changed my life. Everything in my life used to be about just having fun, but I never stopped to realize that having fun doesn't have to be non-stop action. Sometimes I can enjoy myself by just relaxing, or even reading... okay maybe not reading... well, what I mean is, we're good friends now, right? And sometimes, I feel like we can be... more."

Raven looked up at Beast Boy with widened eyes. "I didn't realize..."

"I kind of always had a feeling. I mean, it was only a while ago that Ireally discovered just how much I cared, and I wanted to tell you. But it wasn't until I read that book that I realized you..." Beast Boy's voice suddenly trailed off as he realized what he was about to say. "...felt the same way?" His statement had become a question, and he looked at Raven with a nervous smile.

Raven nodded sheepishly. "I never wanted to believe it because I wasn't supposed to feel any strong emotions. But the feeling's always been there, somewhere, growing and growing inside me. I hate to admit it, but you make me feel stronger, more confident..."

Then she was speechless. Her expression became grim again. She glanced around, her eyes finally meeting Beast Boy's once more.

He put his hand on Raven's shoulder. There was another pause.

Finally, Raven smiled and rested her head on Beast Boy's chest. And there was warmth in the cold world of Raven's mind.

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Meanwhile, the other three Titans were still battling the monster, and it seemed that they were about to lose. Then, all of a sudden, the monster began to glow. The light grew brighter and brighter until it was finally blinding. After a moment, the light faded away, and the monster was gone. The cavern changed, as well. It was brighter somehow, and lit by light blue flames instead of green. A supernatural warmth radiated the air.

And all of this happened when Raven smiled.

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_All right, there's Chapter 6, but it's not over just yet!_

_Stay tuned for Chapter 7!_

_Review please._


	7. Fireworks

**NOTE: No real action left here. I kinda just wanted a short, cute ending, so it might sound a little corny. Sorry, its sort of supposed to be... :-) **

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**Shadows**

by: IHOP

**Chapter 7 – Fireworks**

The next night, the Titans kicked off their celebration in the repaired Tower. After hours of nonstop partying and eating, they all sat in the kitchen, exhausted.

"This has been a wonderful evening," Starfire remarked.

"Yeah, this was a great idea," Robin agreed.

"Okay, so who wants the last piece of my tofu cake?" Beast Boy asked teasingly.

"Please, stop threatening us," Raven commented.

The others laughed quietly. Beast Boy frowned for a moment, then decided that he really wanted the cake anyway, and he wolfed it down.

"Hey, it's almost midnight!" Cyborg exclaimed. "You know what that means?"

"Oh, yes. It is time for the fireworks!" cheered Starfire.

"All right, let's go, everybody." Robin headed outside, and the other Titans followed.

But Beast Boy and Raven stayed behind for a moment. The glanced at each other and smiled. After all, nobody else had to know. They then joined the others outside.

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The Titans were gathered on the shore outside the Tower. It was a beautiful night with a bright moon. Cyborg started up his fireworks machine. It was an incredible display.

Cyborg beamed with pride at his outstanding machine. Starfire leaned on Robin's shoulder dreamily. Beast Boy and Raven stood to the side.

"It's amazing, huh?" Beast Boy turned to Raven.

"Yes," she replied, "and everything else was amazing. Everything I had hoped would happen did happen." She looked up and blushed.

Just then, Beast Boy thought of the vision he saw in Raven's mind. Suddenly he realized what it was.

"Not just everything," he said with a smile.

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Beast Boy took Raven to a different part of the shoreline where the others couldn't see them. He stared at her for a moment, with a gleam in his eye. Raven stared back, somewhat confused. She wasn't sure what he was up to.

The Beast Boy laid his hand on Raven's cheek, leaned forward, and kissed her.

Raven was shocked,and blushed at first. Then, she admitted that she had wanted it all along.

And as they kissed, fireworks illuminated the sky.

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_The end. So, did you like it? I hope you did. Please review._

_I think I might want to write another Titans fanfic. Any ideas would be appreciated. Maybe another one starring BB and Raven (they're my favorite characters)._


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